Stainless steel is a special alloy that is widely used in domestic and industrial applications due to its anti-corrosion properties and resistance to aggressive environments. Due to the fact that the composition of stainless steel is represented by various chemical elements, in the production process, by calculating their percentage, it is possible to create the desired type of material. In everyday life, they use taps and faucets, tableware, sinks and kitchen sinks - products made from stainless steel, which among experts is called food. A very relevant question is how to drill food grade stainless steel. Each master has his own reason for which he is forced to resort to this procedure. As experts advise, before drilling stainless steel, you should carefully prepare. It will not be superfluous to get acquainted with all the recommendations from experienced craftsmen. This is especially important if the procedure is carried outhome craftsman for the first time. You will find information on how to drill stainless steel at home in this article.
What are the difficulties of the drilling procedure?
Due to the chemical composition of stainless steel grades, this metal has increased ductility. In the course of work, chips are formed, which, sticking to the drills, limit the properties of their cutting edges. As a result, they do not function fully, and hardening appears in the inside of the hole. Its presence adversely affects the further processing of the metal. In addition, in this place there is a change in the physical properties of steel. Also during drilling, as a result of rotation and cutting, the drill becomes very hot. The heat generated on its surface is transferred to the metal. If preventive measures are not taken at this stage, the steel around the hole will turn out to be painted. As a result, the decorative surface will be damaged, the corrosion resistance of stainless steel will be reduced. To correct the current situation and restore the original parameters of the steel, the master will have to resort to additional technological operations.
Where to start?
Very often, beginners who are interested in how to drill stainless steel correctly do not know where to start. As experienced craftsmen recommend, the first step is to do everything to eliminate the above negative factors. To do this, the home craftsman thinks over how he will preventchip sticking and how it will cool the metal surface. For those who do not know how to drill stainless steel at home, experts advise using water as a very effective method. However, it is mainly used in 2 mm sheet stainless steel to make a single hole, the diameter of which does not exceed 1 cm. If you need to make several holes, it is more advisable to use oil or a special emulsion for cooling.
Cooling container
According to experienced craftsmen, water should be used at the very beginning of drilling. To cool a hot drill, it must be dipped in a container of water. It is better to use a small jar, which is convenient to put nearby. After the drill is immersed in the tool steel, the hardening procedure takes place. If the drill is allowed to simply cool in the air, then the metal will be released, as a result of which it will lose its basic properties. You should also think about how to supply coolant to the drilling site. In production, they use special industrial machines, which provide for its supply. In home workshops, craftsmen have to resort to various tricks on their own, creating a home-made lubrication system. A home craftsman can equip his product with a car pump that will act as a pump. Some craftsmen surround the point of contact of the drill with a stainless steel rubber ring in order to reduce consumption.
Machine oil and sulfur grease
Before drilling stainless steel, you need to prepare a lubricant and coolant. Judging by the numerous reviews, the most common composition is machine oil with sulfur. This solution can be prepared both from colloidal and from sulfur for fumigation. According to experienced craftsmen, this substance in the form of a fine powder does not require special processing, it can be immediately added to engine oil. Sulfur is also sold in lumps. The owner will only have to grind it thoroughly.
Soap cleanser
Judging by the reviews, a good coolant and lubricant is a composition based on laundry soap. You can make a remedy as follows:
- First, a bar of soap is thoroughly crushed. Better get cheap products.
- Next, powdered soap is diluted in hot water.
- Then the solution should be filled with technical hydrochloric acid.
- The mixture should stand for a while.
- Dilute with cold water.
- Fatty acids should float to the surface, which will be used to make a cooling lubricant.
- Add sulfur to acids in a ratio of 6:1.
Judging by the reviews, thick stainless steel is easily drilled with the resulting solution.
What is the best way to drill stainless steel?
According to experts, it is better to use special cob alt drills to work with cast iron, stainless steel and other heat-resistant steels. In their production, an alloy R6M5K5 is used. Also, in the manufacture of drills for stainless steel, alloy P18 is used. However, in accordance with GOST 10902-77, they are characterized by limiting the amount of cob alt to 5%. For those who do not know how to drill stainless steel with a drill, experienced craftsmen recommend choosing cob alt products.
The advantage of drills that include cob alt in their chemical composition is that, due to the presence of this chemical element, the tool has a high hardness. Judging by consumer reviews, any stainless steel products are drilled with such a drill without much difficulty. According to experts, the red resistance index of the product is significantly increased, which means that critical overheating is excluded. However, if you set the power tool not to the usual normal mode or ignore the established standards and extend the working session, the drill may overheat. However, even after intensive use, a cob alt product will still have high wear resistance and hardness. Due to the fact that today the industry does not produce cob alt drills, it is quite difficult to find them. Nevertheless, there are good analogues on the shelves of specialized stores, which are also very effective for working with stainless steel. You can use HSS-Co drills. For their production, an alloy containing at least 5% cob alt is used. According to experts, foreign drills practically do not differ in their composition from domestic cob alt ones. You can also use specialdrill bits.
About sharpening
Cob alt drills are sharpened on one side. For the core in spiral models, helical edges and grooves are provided, with the help of which chips are removed from the hole. According to experts, such drills are considered a universal option for working at home. Provide reliable and high-quality drilling. Enterprises often use step drills. The sharpening angle can vary between 100-140 degrees. For stainless steel, it is better to use a drill with an angle of 130 degrees. A product with a reduced rate is suitable for working with duralumin and brass.
About Shanks
Due to the fact that in the course of work, under the influence of vibration, an increased mechanical load will be exerted on the tooling, the home craftsman will have to decide how to connect the chuck and drill. Experts recommend using a design with a cylindrical hitch. HSS drills manufactured by Inforce are suitable for it. The tensile strength index for these products is 900 N/mm2. Despite the fact that the design of the key type does not provide the best torque, judging by the reviews, the drill never jams, which has a positive effect on safety. Hex shank drills are also available. They are fixed with three-jaw chucks. Fasteners are quite reliable, but during the change of nozzles the master may have difficulties.
Which tool to use?
Before drilling stainless steel,You also need to decide what tool will work. For this purpose, enterprises use special drilling machines. At home, the amount of work is much less, so the use of machines will be unjustified. At the service of a home craftsman - a drill and a puncher. Unlike a drill, a hammer drill is a more powerful unit and therefore more productive. However, it has a massive body and impressive weight. Due to the large dimensions of this power tool, its maneuverability will be significantly reduced.
Mostly perforators are used to work with concrete and brick surfaces. For those who cannot decide how to drill stainless steel, experienced craftsmen advise you to opt for a drill. You can use a professional model of power tools, the power of which is from 1500 watts. Cordless drills rated for 18 V have also proven themselves well. They are suitable for those cases when you need to drill at a considerable distance from the power source.
Drill stainless steel with your own hands. Step by step instructions
For those who are going to work with stainless steel for the first time, experienced craftsmen recommend following the following sequence of actions:
- First you need to prepare a container with lubricant and coolant. What kind of remedy it will be, everyone decides for himself.
- Due to the fact that it is undesirable to work with stainless steel at high speeds, since there is a risk of damaging the cutting edges or breaking the drill, work at low or medium speeds.
- Set the workpiece on a securely fixed surface. It is best to use a metal workbench that has a vise.
- When the power tool gives the drill the optimum speed, you can make direct mechanical contact with the workpiece. After that, they begin to carry out the cutting itself.
- At the very end of the work, you should maintain the initial speed. You can reduce the speed and turn off the machine only after the drill is completely removed from the hole.
How to work with a stainless steel sink
Due to the fact that some modern sinks are not equipped with holes for taps or faucets, many beginners ask how to drill a stainless steel sink. There are several ways to deal with this task. Some craftsmen work with a hammer and punch. All you have to do is pick up the nozzle of the required diameter. There are also special mechanical punches on the counters, which form holes by extrusion. The design of this product is represented by a threaded pin and two nozzles, a tap and a pressing washer, the head of which is adapted for wrenches. To make a hole in a stainless steel sink, you need to install a pin on its outer side and screw on the washer. As a result of its tightening with a wrench, a hole is formed in the product. The third method is considered quite effective.
In this case, the master will have to acquire a special drill, which among specialists is also called"carrot". The product has a conical shape. The cutting edge diameter varies from 6mm to 38mm. The "carrot" works like a regular drill.
A few recommendations from experts
There are situations when you need to drill a 6mm sheet of stainless steel. Experienced craftsmen advise in this case to apply a double method, namely: first drill a hole with a small diameter, and then expand it. 2 mm products lend themselves well to drills sharpened at an angle of 120 degrees. Within 1 min. the power tool should produce no more than 100 revolutions. If the stainless steel is too thin (less than 1 mm), work with stepped drills.
